


Perspectives: UshiOi Week 2016

by MiscWrites (Bijoux25)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Crossdressing, Day 2 is Oikawa bein a drama queen, Day 3: Ushijima is still rude, Day 4: that time i tried to write intrigue, Day 5: Oikawa finds a dress, Day 6: Future Fic/Tangently related to Day 3, Day 7: Resolution and The End!, First Day is a fantasy au, M/M, UshiOi Week 2016, also violence, and Ushijima is always rude, but not super graphic?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-07
Updated: 2016-02-16
Packaged: 2018-05-18 21:55:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5944603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bijoux25/pseuds/MiscWrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For UshiOi Week 2016. </p>
<p>Day 1: Royalty (1/3)<br/>Day 2: Making Up<br/>Day 3: Date<br/>Day 4: Fantasy (2/3)<br/>Day 5: Undercover<br/>Day 6: Nationals & University<br/>Day 7: Free Theme (3/3)</p>
<p>“Say,” Oikawa said, taking his time with the buttons. “If someone paid you enough, would you come after me?” he asked. There was a long pause where Oikawa listened to Ushijima breathe. </p>
<p>“It depends,” Ushijima finally answered, his voice deep and quiet. “There's a lot of things to consider when it comes to assassination.” Oikawa chewed on his lip.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day 1: Royalty (1/3)

**Author's Note:**

> I'm doing something a bit different for this week since some of the prompts match up well with each other. I have some one-shots in here, but there's also a longer work with multiple chapters that I've broken up over the week. Today is part 1 of 3 of the longer story line. The second part will come on Day 4 and the final part will come on Day 7. So, hope every one likes it and best of luck to everyone else writing for UshiOi week!

Oikawa watched the nurse take his wrist between two slim, pale fingers and he blinked back his tears. He would never say that Yahaba was the most robust person he'd ever met, but right now he was nearly as pale as the white sheets he was laying on and Oikawa's entire being felt like it was being pulled tight with worry.

  
He forced hismelf to take a deep breath and crossed his legs. He tried to make himself think more about the way the rough wood of the chair dug into the back of his knee rather than the rather worrying rasping sound Yahaba was making every time he drew in a labored breath. Oikawa was the prince. He had to keep his cool. Of course he could keep his cool. At all times. Even when his lovely aide hadn't come to wake him up this morning, or even responded beyond a pained whimper when Oikawa had sought him out instead.

  
"He'll be okay," Oikawa pressed. The nurse, a dark haired beauty named Kiyoko sat up and pinned Oikawa with a level stare.

  
"I can't say for sure right now," she said. Oikawa was frowning deeply before she even fnished her words and shifted in his chair, uncrossing his legs only to immediately cross them again. He brought his hand up and pressed it nervously to the side of his neck as if he could physically force his pulse to calm by doing so. Kiyoko was kind enough to let him more or less stop fidgeting before she continued. "He was okay last night?" Oikawa nodded, then paused and thought deeper.

  
"He seemed more stiff than usual, but I didn't think too much on it," Oikawa admitted. His brow furrowed, pouring through everything that had happened last night. "He's been staying up late with me recently so I thought he was just tired."

  
"The council elections?" Kiyoko asked. Oikawa nodded, but didn't give her details. There was the king and queen, his parents, then himself as the main ruling party. However, just below them there was a small council of ten people from the larger towns in Seijou who spoke on the behalf of citizens and served as a second opinion on pretty much every subject. Elections happened every five years and all of it centered here, in the castle and the city that spread out around it.

  
"A lot of chairs are changing hands this time around and there's been a lot to think about," Oikawa explained. In fact, it was deeper than that. There were several large and far reaching policies in the ether right now, and Yahaba had been fretting over letting them float through the elections or rushing and getting the matters settled beforehand. Oikawa sighed and pressed his fingers to his temple. He could feel his mind throbbing in his skull just thinking about all this. Kiyoko turned back to Yahaba when he shifted and groaned softly and the sound felt like it was physically tearing into Oikawa's chest.

  
"I don't know much about that," Kiyoko said and pulled the sheet up a little further on Yahaba's chest when he shivered. Oikawa knew that was a lie. While she wasn't privy to the specifics on anything political, she was sharp and Oikawa was sure she understood why they were all so stressed over something so immaterial. "But, did you two deviate from your routine at all last night?" she asked. Oikawa sat up, fingers tapping on his leg as he thought back.

  
"Not really..." he started then paused again. "It's stupid, but I didn't eat dinner last night. Yahaba told me I was being petty for not eating that atrocious looking tomato soup," he huffed. Kiyoko gave an intense look.

  
"And?"

  
"He was more than happy when I gave it to him." They looked at each other with worry and a cold tendril of fear worked it's way up Oikawa's back.

* * *

  
Once word got out about Yahaba's likely poisoning, things moved quickly. Oikawa never ate anything that hadn't first been tested by someone else. The knights were all brought on duty and Oikawa couldn't so much as turn a corner without walking into one of them posted at a door or following a governement official around. Within just a couple days, extra security had been brought into the castle and everywhere the atmosphere was crowded and tense.

  
Oikawa looked up from the apple he was peeling and glared into the doorway. A tall man dressed in dark and somewhat worn clothing stood just inside the room, back pressed against the wall next to the door. Instead of pretending Oikawa wasn't there, or, which the prince would greatly prefer, standing in the hallway instead, the brunet merely lifted his brow and met Oikawa's gaze with an even confidence.

  
The prince pouted. "Shigeru, what do you think of my new bodyguard? His name is Ushijima and papa spent a loooot of money on him," he said, pulling a thin slice of apple away from the whole and offering it to his aide. Over the last few days Kiyoko had been looking into every kind of antidote she knew of and under her care Yahaba was coming back around, though a little too slowly for Oikawa's taste.

  
"He's not Iwaizumi," Yahaba noted. He took the piece of fruit and nibbled at it with disinterest, his appetite lacking since he'd been poisoned. Even though Oikawa frowned at him for more or less playing with his food he appreciated that Yahaba was alert enough to catch onto Oikawa's attitude and join him in not acknowledging the man posted at the door. "Why not?"

  
"Iwa's with papa for the time being. A lot of the knights are," Oikawa shot Yahaba a look that said 'I tried. I really did,' and Yahaba made a listless hum in the back of his throat. "Papa said he'd rather hire someone to watch me so he wouldn't have to execute one of his knights if something happened to me," Oikawa explained with special emphasis. When he looked the brunet at the door. He hadn't moved, like he hadn't even heard the dig Oikawa had just made at him. The official explanation had been partially what Oikawa had just stated, but added to that, his father was hoping that having a well known mercenary around him at all times would act well enough as a deterrent at a second attempt on Oikawa's life, considering that the presence of knights alone had defnitely not worked the first time. Yahaba shoved the last bit of apple in his mouth and chewed slowly as he looked Ushijima up and down.

  
"I've heard of him," he said after several seconds. "His group did some work in Karasuno recently, yes?" It was the first time that either one of them had spoken to Ushijima directly since Oikawa had come in to visit. Ushijima shifted to his other foot before leaning against the wall again.  
"Yes," both Yahaba and Oikawa waited for more, but after several seconds it was clear Ushijima didn't intend to add anything. Yahaba visibly restrained from rolling his eyes when he turned back to the prince.

  
"I heard good things about it. I'm not surprised the King went to them first." Oikawa frowned. "Well, is he nice?" Yahaba pressed and Oikawa took a deep breath.

  
"No," he huffed and started cutting into the apple again. "He showed up, went through everything in my chambers and then told me he was surprised no one had come in after me already," he growled. Yahaba bit his lip and Oikawa thrust another slice of apple at him. "He says that it's pitifully easy to get in my room." Oikawa could see Ushijima setting his jaw in the corner of his eye and grinned.

  
"He's just doing his job, isn't he?" Yahaba sighed, exasperated. Oikawa sat back and looked down his nose at Ushijima as he turned to check the source of footsteps in the hallway. When he turned back, their eyes met. After several tense seconds, he caught Ushijima's eyes make a quick course down and back up to his face. Oikawa smirked.  
"I bet he's just taking notes for himself," Oikawa accused. Ushijima's eyes narrowed slightly.

  
"I am," he pressed. Oikawa straightened up at that and Yahaba shot a curious look between them. "It makes it easier if I know the entry points." Oikawa huffed and he must have looked like he was about to snap at Ushijima, because Yahaba reached out and weakly tried to paw the rest of the apple out of Oikawa's hands. Oikawa pulled it away and then used the same hand to push Yahaba back into the mattress.

  
"The fact that no one actually has come in and tried to take your life means that either your father is a good regent or that your knights are competent," Ushijima added. Oikawa made a barking laugh.

  
"You hear that? He thinks Iwa and the others are competent," Oikawa said, his voice light and hiding the spike of frustration in his veins. "That's awfully kind words coming from a big, bad mercenary, right?" Now Yahaba did roll his eyes, but now it was aimed at Oikawa, who ignored it. "Should I tell Iwa and let him know of the honor he's been graced with?"

  
"I think you should spare me," Yahaba shot back gently. Oikawa leveled him with a sharp look. "You don't have a choice in this, do you? I know it sucks but it's only until we figure out who did this," Yahaba pressed and that was enough to sober Oikawa. The prince was quiet for several seconds before he sighed and tapped Yahaba on the cheek.  
"You'll be okay. I'll find who did this to you and give him just as good," Oikawa said. Yahaba nodded and ignored when Oikawa brushed his fingers through his hair in some little effort to straighten up his appearance.

  
"I'm already fine. Just be good. We're busy enough as it is and you should get along with the only person who has the time to keep you in line."  
"He's not keeping me-" Yahaba ignored him and turned to Ushijima.

  
"Do whatever you have to to make him behave. He's unruly at best, though I'm sure you already know that. He has no idea how to keep himself safe so I'm going to trust you with that for the time being," Yahaba said. Ushijima nodded and seemed to soften the smallest bit. Oikawa stood from his chair and straightened his clothes before he went around the bed and headed for the door, shoving the remainder of the apple into Ushijima's hands.

  
"Alright then, Shigeru, I'll leave since you're scolding me," Yahaba scoffed at that. "Get some rest and I'll come back tomorrow," Oikawa gave Yahaba a flippant wave over his shoulder as he stepped into the hall, unmindful of how Ushijima followed not two steps behind him.

* * *

  
"You're not staying in here," Oikawa pressed. He was already half undressed when Ushijima had just come into the room from trekking up and down the hall doing only hell knew what. Oikawa could feel Ushijima's eyes lingering on pretty much everything between his shoulders and hips and the prince tossed his shirt at him to break his attention.

  
"I am," Ushijima said simply. He caught the shirt, shifted it between his hands for a couple of seconds before deciding to just set it at the foot of the bed. Now his focus was on Oikawa's face, everything about him solid and unmoving. "What's the point of being your guard if I'm out in the hallway?"

  
"You're not going to be in the hallway. You're going to be in the hall with the rest of your little gang," Oikawa said. He shooed him away with a flick of his hand. Ushijima moved and grabbed the chair at Oikawa's desk. Oikawa watched him pull it across the floor and hide it in a corner of the room, away from both the doors and windows.  
"You're going to lurk over there in the corner?" Oikawa asked.

  
"I'm going to sit here and watch the room for the night," Ushijima explained.

  
"So you're going to creepily watch me while I sleep." Oikawa got a little surge of satisfaction when a wrinkle rose in Ushijima's forehead.

"I'm going to do my job," he pressed and Oikawa thought his voice sounded tense.

  
"Well, you're out of luck because there's no way I can sleep with you just sitting there."

  
"You'll get used to it," Ushijima shot back. He straightened and they locked eyes again. they stared at each other for several seconds before Oikawa smirked and arched his back a bit, fingers hooking in the front of his breeches. Again, the prince could see Ushijima's eyes waver for a second, then they tracked deliberately down the floor and back up again. Oikawa laughed derisively.

  
"You think you're really lucky, don't you, you son of a bitch," Oikawa growled, "I bet you're gonna tell me I have to get used to undressing in front of you too, huh?" Ushijima's eyes went narrow and hard and the prince backed up a step. It wasn't like he wasn't used to be looked at. Women gave him that same sweeping once over all the time and even Iwaizumi did it pretty openly. But when Ushijima did it, here when they were both locked in his personal chambers, it made goosebumps raise on Oikawa's skin. Whether it was fear or interest, Oikawa couldn't figure out and it bothered him immensely.

  
"No. I can go out into the hallway for a few minutes while you get into bed," Ushijima said, his expression smoothing out into something more relaxed. As he said that, he stepped to the door and pulled it open. "Only a few minutes," he reminded and went out into the hallway.

  
Oikawa chewed the inside of his cheek. He thought about walking over and locking the door, simply locking Ushijima out. Then he thought of Yahaba urging him to get along with this guy and he figured he wouldn't stoop to that level of pettiness unless Ushijima really decided to test his patience. So Oikawa forced himself to take a deep breath, to tamp down his frustration. He undressed quickly, setting the rest of his clothes with his shirt and climbed into bed nude. He didn't call out and tell Ushijima he was ready for him to come back in because frankly, he wasn't. He never wanted him to come back, but sure enough after several deep breaths the door creaked open again and Oikawa watched Ushijima step back into the room.

  
He shut and locked the door behind him and Oikawa tried to play at ignorning him as he stepped around the room, slow and steady, checking every window, every dark corner until he was apparently satisfied that nothing was amiss. Ushijima never said anything, not even when he settled into the chair in the corner of the room and Oikawa never urged him to. Instead, he tucked himself further under his blankets than he normally would, trying to ignore the unwavering foreign presence in the room, the sound of another person breathing nearby, the feeling of sharp eyes on him as he tried to force himself to sleep.


	2. Day 2: Making Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “How long did you think about that before you just said it?” He growled. Ushijima tipped his head to try and pull away but Oikawa kept his hold firm.
> 
> “I don't know. Since you left,” he admitted. “I was worried and you never texted me back.”
> 
> “So fucking do that more often,” Oikawa huffed.

"I swear to god, Iwa," Oikawa huffed into the empty room. The first thing he had done when he got home from work was call Iwaizumi. The second had been to put him on speaker while he made himself a cup of tea. "Mr. Refreshing is going to be the death of me if he doesn't stop with that Employee of the Month bullshit." Iwaizumi had the nerve to laugh. “You know I'm getting wrinkles from this, right?” Oikawa pressed. He was. He could feel one forming right between his eyebrows.

“I know. It's still funny when you get mad over shit like this,” Iwaizumi replied. “What do you care about Employee of the Month? You were telling me how useless it was like two days ago.” Oikawa's teeth squeaked together as he looked for his favorite mug in the cabinet. The porcelain clinked as he pushed around the cups and after several seconds he remembered that it was still in the sink from that morning. He huffed and grabbed one of Ushijima's instead.

“Fuck washing the dishes,” he growled to himself. Iwaizumi acknowledged it with a hum.

“Well? What changed so suddenly?” he pressed as Oikawa fidgeted impatiently with the string of a bag of tea while he waited for the water to boil.

“He's not supposed to get it three damn months in a row!” He heard shuffling through his phone. “Iwa don't-” It didn't work. Iwaizumi still laughed, though it was muffled.

“So you're jealous?” Iwaizumi asked a few second later.

“I'm not jealous!” Oikawa growled. He could see the kettle start to steam and decided that the water was hot enough. He tossed the bag in his mug and started pouring water over it. “It's just... God, I don't even know. First, he's way too good a PowerPoint. So there's that,” Oikawa said.

He heard the front door open and he looked over his shoulder as Ushijima walked in. Setting the kettle down, he turned and leaned against the counter to watch Ushijima loosen his tie and take off his dress shirt as he talked. “The worst part is that Mr. Refreshing just acts like getting his cute little placard is just _soo_ great and that he's _soo_ grateful for the honor even though everyone in the whole building knows he's sucking the boss's dick.” Iwaizumi groaned at his drama. Ushijima, untucking his undershirt, tipped his head as he padded into the kitchen and settled into place beside Oikawa. He saw the taller man look behind his shoulder at the mug, then at the phone.

“I thought Sugawara was with Sawamura,” Ushijima said. Oikawa fought the urge to roll his eyes and didn't bother responding because he couldn't even tell if that comment came from Ushijima just catching the tail end of the conversation or if it were one of Ushijima's rare and fairly useless attempts at humor. Still, Oikawa picked up his phone and held it in front of him, leaning lightly into his boyfriend's side and resting some of his weight on him.

“So what do I do Iwa? You think I can get away with breaking his beautiful PowerPoint fingers or should I just slash his tires or something?” Oikawa asked. Ushijima shifted. Oikawa heard a familiar inhale when Ushijima was thinking of saying something and pinched his side with his free hand to keep him quiet.

“I think you should get over it,” Iwaizumi said bluntly. Oikawa whined petulantly and tipped his head and rest it on Ushijima's shoulder.

“You're no help at all.”

“That's what you call me for,” Iwaizumi shot back. “Drink whatever you're making and try to forget about him.”

“Still no help, but I'll do that, I guess,” Oikawa said, and now his pouting was more of an act. “I'll talk to you later okay? Ushiwaka's standing here like a lost puppy.” Oikawa hung up after bidding Iwaizumi goodbye and turned to stir some sugar in his tea.

“What's this about Sugawara?” Ushijima asked. He watched Oikawa stir a couple spoonfuls of sugar into his mug. Oikawa sighed, long suffering and stared into the cup.

“It's nothing big, I guess. He just gets on my nerves so _bad_ sometimes.” He lifted the mug and took a deep sip from it. “Why's he got to be so good at everything?” He muttered into the warm liquid.

“I thought you went to the same college,” Ushijima said. Oikawa's gaze snapped to him, his posture going stiff. Ushijima still looked just as honest and unbothered as always, like he was just stating facts.

“What's that got to do with anything?” Oikawa pressed. The corner of Ushijima's mouth pulled down in thought.

“So why is he better than you? You're smart, and you went to the same school, so what's there to bother you?” he asked. Immediately, Oikawa regretted having already ended his phonecall with Iwaizumi. He didn't need this idiot badgering him right now.

“Oh, you better not be saying what I think you're saying,” Oikawa breathed to himself. He set down his mug and snatched up his phone again, looked at it and then leaned his free hand on the counter to stare hard at Ushijima. “You think it's my fault Sugawara gets all his little rewards?” Ushijima straightened up, looking slightly surprised.

“No, I'm just concerned why you would think there's such gap between you and Sugawara,” Ushijima said. Oikawa let out a sharp breath.

“There's _not_ a gap between us,” Oikawa growled. Ushijima' brow furrowed the barest bit.

“Clearly you think there is if you're so mad about it,” he said. His voice had an edge to it that had taken Oikawa years to learn meant he was getting frustrated and Oikawa didn't want to deal with it.

“I'm not-” Oikawa stood and turned his attention to his phone. He took a deep breath.

“Just try whatever Sugawara's doing,” Ushijima said. Like that was the simple solution. Oikawa didn't _want_ to just copy Sugawara. That was a terrible idea. And what was this about a gap between them? Something in Oikawa's gut twisted fiercely at the thought that Ushijima was telling him that he simply wasn't trying hard enough.

"Well, you know what," Oikawa bit his lip, fingers wrapping around his phone in a white knuckle grip. "I really wasn't asking for _your_ opinion.' He turned the device in his hands, squeezed it, then looked down and started tapping at it with practiced motions. "Because it's always some bullshit like that." he hissed the last part to himself. He saw Ushijima shift in the corner of his eye and whipped his head up to glare at him fully. "I'm going out." In Ushijima's defense, he did have the mind to look first surprised, and then somewhat taken aback by Oikawa's fierce reaction.

“Don't,” Ushijima started, but Oikawa walked past him to the door.

“I'll see you later,” Oikawa interupped him as he stopped and pulled his coat on. Ushijima was still giving him that frustrated look from the kitchen. Oikawa ignored it.

The door clacked satisfyingly behind him when he went out. He pulled out his phone again and looked at the screen. He hadn't even bothered waiting for a response before he left, but he knew that he probably wouldn't need too. Hanamaki had already texted him back.

'Come over. Issei bought ice cream earlier.' It read, followed by six or seven smiley faces.

* * *

 

By the time Oikawa had gotten on the subway and walked to the apartment Hanamaki and Matsukawa shared, he'd had enough time to cool off and his anger from earlier had shifted to a general need for attention. Hanamaki grinned wide when he opened the door and let Oikawa step in.

“It's been a while since Ushiwaka pissed you off enough to send you running,” he teased. Oikawa frowned deeply but Hanamaki only pressed a hand between Oikawa's shoulders and pushed him into the living room. “What did he do this time?” he asked.

“Mr. Refreshing got Employee of the Month three times in a row because I'm lazy,” Oikawa whined. Hanamaki pushed Oikawa into the couch and both he and Matsukawa laughed between them.

“Really?” Matsukawa asked. Oikawa turned sideways in the couch and saw that he was already in the kitchen with some coffee, nevermind that it was almost seven a night. “That's rude.”

“Right? I can't complain about anything around him.” Hanamaki opened the freezer and pulled out the rumored carton of ice cream as well as some bowls from the cupboard. “He can't just let me vent. He always has to open his stupid mouth and turn it back on me.”

“Man, that's bad too,” Hanamaki started. He pawed at a third bowl, looked at Matsukawa, then put it back when he shook his head. “If there's one thing you do a lot it's _vent_ ,” he said, putting emphasis on the last word.

“Are you calling me a bitch?” Oikawa asked. He could feel a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. Hanamaki and Matsukawa exchanged a meaningful glance between. Matsukawa picked up the train of thought and responded first.

“Aren't we all?” Hanamaki bit his lip to hide his grin as effort as he sunk his spoon in the carton on the counter.

“I mean, what are we right now?” he added. “Talking smack on your boyfriend and all that.”

* * *

 

Several hours and a movie later, Oikawa leaned heavily on the arm of the couch, his cheek in his hand. It was starting to be an effort to keep his eyes open and while Matsukawa was already asleep, Hanamaki still seemed alert.

“Do you want to stay the night?” Hanamaki asked. He was leaning hard on Matsukawa's shoulder, his arms wrapped around one of his boyfriend's and holding it to his chest. “I can kick him off the couch in just a couple minutes if I try.” Oikawa was quiet for several seconds but ultimately shook his head.

“No, I've got work in the morning,” Oikawa sighed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “And to be honest you guys have a terrible shower.”

“It does the job well enough I guess,” Hanamaki said. “But you're okay?”

“Yeah. I'm over it,” he push his hair back from his face. He looked through his unread texts and there were several from Ushijima asking him if he were okay. Oikawa was too tired to stay very angry with him and tapped out a message saying he would be home within an hour. “I know he doesn't mean to be rude but, oh my god, he never learns either.” Oikawa explained tiredly. He could feel Hanamaki's grin before he saw it.

“Well, he's got to make up for it right?”

“You know just as well as anyone that I'm a sucker for looks,” Oikawa said. He stood from the couch and stretched. “Thanks for letting me come over.”

“I'll make sure you repay us later,” Hanamaki said. He nudged the back of Oikawa's knee with his foot. “Go home and sass your boyfriend.”

* * *

 

Though it was past midnight when Oikawa walked in, Ushijima was still awake, apparently reading before he looked up and watched Oikawa come in. There was a tense silence between them as Oikawa pulled his coat and shoes off.

“Seriously,” Oikawa started and padded across the room to where Ushijima sat. “Can't you keep your mouth shut?” Ushijima opened his mouth, closed it again and merely hummed. “You do better when you take the time to actually think about what you're saying instead of just blurting shit out.”

“I'm sorry,” Ushijima sighed. He closed his book and set it on the coffee table. “I was trying to say that I don't think you have to worry so much.” Oikawa pressed his hand between them and pinched his side hard. Ushijima merely grimaced in a way that was unsatisfying.

“Yeah, and that's a hell of a way to put it,” Oikawa growled. He smoothed his fingers over the spot he had pinched and then slid his arm around Ushijima's waist.

“You're a perfectionist and you let things get to you when you don't have to,” Ushijima explained. “Why should you care what Sugawara's doing?” Oikawa reached up and gripped Ushijima's chin. That, what Ushijima had just said, made better sense than what he'd told him this afternoon.

“How long did you think about that before you just said it?” He growled. Ushijima tipped his head to try and pull away but Oikawa kept his hold firm.

“I don't know. Since you left,” he admitted. “I was worried and you never texted me back.”

“So fucking do that more often,” Oikawa huffed. He let go of his chin and thumped him hard in the chest. “Has anyone ever told you that you say rude things sometimes?” Ushijima let out a slow breath. Of course he had.

“Look. When I'm complaining about something just listen, okay?” Oikawa said. Ushijima lifted a brow at that, and when Oikawa relaxed, he settled his arm heavily at the small of his back. “I don't need your opinion, so when I want it, I'll ask for it.”

“That's enough?” Ushijima asked. Oikawa nodded and hooked his chin over Ushijima's shoulder.

“Yeah, that's all I need.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was about five minutes from scraping this entire thing, oh my god. Everyone have a wonderful UshiOi week!
> 
> I'm on tumblr at miswrites. Feel free to get hold of me there~


	3. Day 3: Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What's wrong with this?” Ushijima asked. Oikawa straightened only enough to give him the same look he would give a stupid dog. 
> 
> “Really? You don't think there's anything weird about watching Shiratorizawa play Seijou even though we graduated two years ago?”

“Is this your idea of a date?” Oikawa asked. A heavy thud echoed through the gigantic room and Oikawa sunk further into the hard chair, rubbing at his temple. When he leaned back, the plastic dug into his shoulders and for a few seconds he could let it distract him from his growing headache. On the court nearest to them, familiar little forms dressed in teal and mauve ran and jumped and yelled to each other. Ushijima shifted in the chair beside him, his shoulder jostling Oikawa a little because honestly Ushijima was too broad for these seats.

“Yes?” Ushijima said after a short pause. “What's wrong with this?” Oikawa straightened only enough to give him the same look he would give a stupid dog.

“Really? You don't think there's anything weird about watching Shiratorizawa play Seijou even though we graduated _two years_ ago?” Oikawa said and then leaned his head back against as a whistle blew and Shiratorizawa scored another point and Seijou called a time out.

“No,” Ushijima admitted. He wasn't paying any attention to Oikawa's dramatic sighing. “Goshiki's doing well as captain, wouldn't you think?” Oikawa exhaled deeply through his nose.

“That loud kid? I guess,” Oikawa hummed. When he looked down he glanced at the little bunch of purple jerseys on the sidelines but honestly he wouldn't have been able to pick out which was Goshiki even if he'd been sitting in the front row. “Kunimi is much better though,” he said. When he focused on his own old team he felt a little rush of affection, then worry, when he turned his attention to the score. Close, but not close enough to make Oikawa not worry over it. Ushijima opened his mouth like he was going to say something, then apparently thought better of it and was quiet for another several seconds.

“I'm not sure who that is,” Ushijima said. They watched the little groups line up again and someone Oikawa didn't recognize from Seijou went up to serve.

“It's a two way street, Ushiwaka,” Oikawa sighed, half to himself. Ushijima still heard him and twisted a bit in his chair to stare at him. Oikawa pretended not to notice.

“What's that mean?”

“Nothing,” Oikawa said. He sunk further into his chair and tipped his head, touching his ear to his shoulder to try and relieve some of the tension.

“You shouldn't sit like that. You'll give yourself a headache.” As he said it, Ushijima bent his arm awkwardly to try and pull Oikawa upright, but the brunet stubbornly sunk down until his knees bumped into the chair in front of him.

“It's your fault for taking me to something like this,” Oikawa said pouting. Ushijima looked confused.

“Watching a volleyball game is making you give yourself tension headaches?” he asked.

“No, the fact that you think rubbing salt in my wounds counts as a date does,” Oikawa huffed. Okay, it was a bit of a low blow. He'd had two years to get over his frustrations from high school, but the sadistic part of him got a little rush of satisfaction when Ushijima huffed and stopped trying to pull him out of his chair.

“You're not interested in this?” he asked after the next point was scored. Oikawa could hear the slightest edge of uneasiness in Ushijima's voice and now he sighed and sat up straight again.

“No, I'm interested, definitely. Cause Seijou's gonna wipe the floor with Shiratorizawa in the next set and I can finally be the happy mother hen I've always wanted to be. But honestly,” he said, and slipped his arm through Ushijima's, leaning into him. “I'd rather spend date night watching a movie or something.” Ushijima hummed deeply and Oikawa could feel it against the length of his arm.

“Do you want to go then?” Ushijima asked him. Oikawa pressed his forehead against Ushijima's shoulder and squeezed his arm. Honestly, he was surprised Ushijima hadn't responded to Oikawa's jab. He'd count it as a victory and also proof that he was right. When Oikawa didn't answer him right away, he nudged him lightly. “The theater is right down the street.” Oikawa reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone without moving his head and tapped it to check the time.

“After this set is over,” he hummed and tucked his phone away before settling in and making himself comfortable as Seijou scored another point. He savored the little sound of frustration Ushijima made in the back of his throat. “There's probably not gonna be anything on til after four anyways, so we might as well kill some time here.”

“Or we could go find something to eat,” Ushijima pressed. Oikawa shook his head.

“No. I'm comfortable right here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because Ushijima and Oikawa never really got over their rivalry. 
> 
> I'm on tumblr at miscwrites~


	4. Day 4: Fantasy (Part 2/3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We don't only work through violence,” Ushijima pressed.
> 
> “But that's what you're known for. Papa hired you because you have a reputation for brute force,” Oikawa pointed out. Ushijima looked somewhat pleased.
> 
> “It's working, is it not?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm almost late for today oh my goodness.  
> Today's chapter is a continuation from Day 1 and there's one more chapter to this that's coming out on Day 7~
> 
> In which I learn I really like cold opens. :/

Oikawa let out a deep sigh and sunk into the lavender scented water until it lapped at his collar. It seemed to leech the tension out of his muscles immediately and Oikawa let himself savor the heat and the weight of steam in his hair.

“The council is having another meeting this morning,” a quiet voice prodded and Oikawa lost that enjoyably empty feeling in his mind. He leaned his head back against the edge of the copper tub and opened his eyes. Kunimi, his aide until Yahaba recovered, was unaffected by Oikawa's gentle glare. “They want you to attend. They already delayed their last meeting by a week and I think they want your thoughts on everything going on around the castle.” At the end of his explanation, he motioned towards the open doorway, where Ushijima and a knight, Kindaichi, were standing just outside. When Oikawa turned his focus on it he could hear Kindaichi talking quietly, though he never seemed to get much of a response from Ushijima.

Oikawa brought his arms up to rest on the sides of the tub and waved away the bar of soap when Kunimi offered it to him. “It's not really my call when or why we decide when Shiratorizawa's job is done. What do they want me to do?” Oikawa griped. Though the question wasn't directly aimed at him, Kunimi still shrugged.

“Maybe they just want to complain to anyone they can get to listen,” Kunimi offered. Oikawa sighed and sunk under the water completely. When he came back up he raked his hair back from his face and took the soap from Kunimi's hand.

“Ushiwaka~,” Oikawa called as he rubbed the soap between his hands. It had taken him a couple of days to learn that Ushijima's first name was Wakatoshi, and immediately he found a new hobby of calling his guard by his new nickname as often and in front of as many people as he possibly could. Ushijima came into the room after a short pause, his face showing little irritation. Oikawa saw Kindaichi shift and nearly follow Ushijima in, then apparently thought better of it and moved back in a nervous scuffle.

“How long are you going to stay here?” Oikawa asked. As he spoke he started rubbing the soap into a lather over his skin and smirked at just how long it took Ushijima to stop watching the motion and look him in the eye.

“I assume until we find out who tried to poison you,” Ushijima offered. Oikawa frowned lightly. It had been nearly two weeks and that issue had proceeded little more than finding out that Yahaba had been poisoned with a common substance that created symptoms similar to a long lasting illness. The only other thing of note was the theory that it was all potentially connected to the upcoming elections or even the policies coming up for consideration. Oikawa scrubbed the soap between his hands and started washing his hair.

“As much as I would like to get my hands on the guy, I'm starting to doubt it's going to happen at this point,” Oikawa admitted bitterly. He gave the soap back to Kunimi, who took it then stood to get a towel hanging up by Oikawa's clothes near the wall.

“Most of my group, myself included, think it's tied to one of your counselors,” Ushijima said. Oikawa rinsed his hair and wiped water from his face. “If we were allowed to use everything at our disposal, we would be finished with all of this in a couple days.”

“That's a bad idea,” Kunimi said as he unfolded the towel. “Having mercenaries interrogate public officials isn't really good for maintaining trust.” Oikawa nodded and then narrowed his eyes at Ushijima for an answer.

“We don't only work through violence,” Ushijima pressed.

“But that's what you're known for. Papa hired you because you have a reputation for brute force,” Oikawa pointed out. Ushijima looked somewhat pleased.

“It's working, is it not?” Oikawa stood in the tub, dripping, and Ushijima looked away until Kunimi gave Oikawa the towel and he stepped onto the cold stone floor. Oikawa shook his head, the water on his skin chilliing him.

“Keep doing what you're hired to do,” Oikawa huffed. “But, I'll tell the counselors your offer at this next meeting. Watch who squirms and keep an eye on them.” Ushijima nodded curtly, then left to room to let Oikawa dress.

* * *

 

“Are you sure you want to talk about state matters in front of...?” Akaashi, the representative of Fukurodani, asked. Oikawa watched his eyes flick between himself and Ushijima standing behind him. Oikawa shifted in his chair and crossed his legs.

“We don't have much of a choice, do we?” he asked. On the other side of the room two more mercenaries, a redhead and one with light, two toned hair stood guard by the door. Knights stood post at the windows. “We still haven't found the criminal who made an attempt on my life so the king and queen have deemed the extra security necessary,” Oikawa said.

“During council meetings?” another pressed. Oikawa shrugged and put on his sweetest smile.

“Especially during council meetings. We're worried about you all as well, you know?” He asked. He couldn't outright say that they were under suspicion but Oikawa could see some of the shrewder ones shift uncomfortably. It wouldn't be surprising if they caught on. “We could manage to move them to the hall, at the very least, if everyone were to accept an interview about the past couple of weeks...”

“Absolutely not,” a third, an old representative from Datekou, spoke up over Oikawa. The mercenaries beside the door exchanged a glance when Oikawa snapped his mouth shut. “We won't be treated as criminals!” Oikawa waved his hands in front of him.

“I know, I know,” he said quickly, fighting to break some of the tension in the room before other counselors decided to gang up on him. “I'm not saying something like that. It's just a precaution. Perhaps one of you saw something that could prove useful and you don't even know it yet,” Oikawa offered. It calmed the room somewhat; they weren't biting at his heels, but neither were there any volunteers. “Just keep in mind. The sooner we find the poisoner, the sooner we can get rid of him,” Oikawa pointed back at Ushijima, “and get things back to normal.”

* * *

 

Oikawa peeked around the corner and into the dining hall. The noise of almost a hundred people settling down to dinner echoed through the room. Oikawa spent several seconds noting where a few of the counselors were sitting and turned back into a dark corner of the hall. He reached out, gripped Ushijima's arm and tugged him down enough to speak in his ear.

“Keep a close eye on Datekou,” Oikawa said. Ushijima nodded and turned his head. His lips brushed Oikawa's temple on accident, but the warm touch brought a shiver down the back of Oikawa's neck and he fought not to flinch away from it.

“I have people watching Nekoma too.” Oikawa let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding when Ushijima stood up and allowed Oikawa to lead him into the room. For the first time in almost two weeks, Yahaba was sitting at the table, in his usual spot right next to Oikawa's. A blond knight, who Oikawa recognized as Kyoutani as he moved closer, was slouched on the bench next to Yahaba. He looked as if he'd rather right a feral wolf than be in the noisy room. Oikawa grinned as he settled into place, scooting close to Yahaba so Ushijima could sit on the other side of him.

“Are you better?” Oikawa asked. Yahaba closed his eyes tiredly as his answer. On his other side, Kyoutani nodded a greeting. Oikawa grinned widely. “You have Kyouken with you today~” Yahaba only nodded. Kyoutani's expression hardened at the nickname.

“Yeah, now that Kiyoko's deemed me well enough to leave the infirmary, I have to have someone follow me around. I had Watari for maybe a day, but he was switched out to watch the Queen instead.” Oikawa sat up at that.

“Why?” he asked. Kyoutani grimaced and stared hard at the table. Yahaba ignored him.

“Well, he had some choice words for your mother when he discovered that she had decided to go for a walk in the garden on her own,” Yahaba explained. Oikawa covered his mouth, torn between shock and laughter. If someone were to put kindling on the table in front of Kyoutani, Oikawa thought it would have lit.

“It's dangerous right now,” he growled. Yahaba groaned and nudged him weakly in the ribs with his elbow.

“That doesn't mean you can tell the Queen she's harebrained to her face!” Yahaba hissed. Kyoutani cringed away from him. Ushijima shifted beside Oikawa and when the prince looked at him over his shoulder, the silent look of shock on his guard's face was nearly enough to break him.

Throughout dinner, Oikawa's attention was broken between watching the room for anything suspicious, trying to urge Yahaba to eat something despite his still weak appetite, and pointedly ignoring the warmth of Ushijima pushing along his side. It was frustrating, and by the time things were winding down, Oikawa's mind felt heavy in his skull. He was good at reading people, but with so many and so much to watch for, Oikawa was left with nothing promising to mull over as he followed Ushijima out of the dining hall and up to his chambers after bidding everyone good night.

* * *

“Did you see anything?” Oikawa asked as he pulled his shirt over his head. Ushijima was still making his nightly round about the room but Oikawa paid him no mind. He stripped down completely and stretched with his arms over his head.

“Nothing to note,” Ushijima hummed. Oikawa thought his voice sounded thick and quiet and he realized that while he was about to go to sleep, Ushijima would stay up through most of the night. Oikawa huffed and climbed into bed over the thick woolen blankets.

“Me neither. None of your group found anything either?” Ushijima shook his head. When he turned and looked at Oikawa, his eyes roamed a bit. Oikawa had long since given up on calling him out on it.

“If they had, they would come tell me immediately,” Ushijima said. Oikawa rested his cheek in his hand, chewing on his lip. Ushijima paced the room before settling into his chair, closing his eyes. This had to end soon. The castle had been overcrowded and tense for days on end. Oikawa had started feeling the wear days ago, but even now he could see that Ushijima was feeling it too. Oikawa stretched out his legs and pulled the blanket over himself.

“When do you even sleep?” Oikawa asked. Ushijima hummed thickly and didn't move.

“When I can.” Oikawa stretched out on his stomach.

“What's that mean?” the prince urged. Ushijima only shook his head.

“Go to sleep.”

* * *

 

The room was dark when Oikawa woke up with a start. He thought he heard a loud thump somewhere, but in his grogginess, he couldn't be sure if the sound had come from his surroundings or his dreams. He shifted, blinking against the dark until his eyes adjusted to the thin moonlight. Nothing moved and nothing made a sound besides for the sound of the wind whistling against the side of the castle. He sat up, blankets pooling at his hips. Now his attention was on Ushijima, nearly completely hidden in the deep shadows he was sitting in. He hadn't moved or said anything.

“Ushiwaka?” Oikawa called, little more than a whisper. He didn't get a response and for a few seconds Oikawa felt a rush of fear, thinking something had happened. He slid out of bed, pawwed around for his trousers and quickly pulled them on. “Are you sleeping?” Oikawa pressed. He stepped around the bed and close to his guard. From nearby, he could see the steady rise and fall of Ushijima's chest. He was actually asleep.

Oikawa's fears subsided and almost immediately they were replaced with excitement. Now he could be to himself. Finally. Finally! Oikawa grinned widely and put on his shirt. He didn't bother with his boots; he only had so much time before Ushijima woke up and found him gone. He kept his eyes on his guard as he eased open the lock on the door.

He hadn't felt such a thrill since he was a child creeping around the castle after his bedtime. He closed the door behind himself and when he stepped away looked back like he expected Ushijima to throw it open and drag him back in like some kind of omnipotent demon. Oikawa took a deep breath and started down the hallway.

It wasn't like he wanted to run away. He was tired, and sleep still sounded like a wonderful idea, but he would be stupid not to take his few minutes of freedom and solitude when it was handed to him so neatly. He would go out for a little walk around the halls, get his fill of fresh air, then sneak back into bed like he was never gone.

The stones were cold under his bare feet as he made his way down the hall. He took his time, careful to look out of windows and look around corners, keeping his eye out for anyone else wondering the halls. He could hear them; footsteps in the distance. It wasn't strange, especially considering how many people were in the castle recently, so Oikawa didn't bear them too much mind unless they sounded close.

He wished he could make his way all the down to the garden, but there were too many people and the walk was too far to really risk getting caught and dealing with the scolding he would surely get for this. There was an alcove instead on the same floor as his room. From the row of windows set in the curved wall he could see the garden well enough to satisfy him. He leaned into one of the windows and sighed at the feel of the wind in his hair and the gentle scent of flowers rising from the garden beneath him. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the chance to have a few minutes without thoughts.

Oikawa was feeling himself start to doze when something brushed his hair. Before he had the chance to react fingers gripped his hair and jerked his head back hard enough to make him yelp.

“Don't say a fucking word,” a rough, unfamiliar voice growled in his ear. Oikawa was pulled to stand straight and his attacker pressed hard to his back. Something cool and sharp grazed his side, then nudged him hard enough to sting.

Oikawa opened his mouth and his scalp stung again. He snapped his mouth shut and gripped the edge of the window tight to keep himself from shaking. This couldn't be happening. He'd been out of Ushijima's sight for ten minutes and _now_ someone decides to make a move.

“Listen here,” the man at his back said. Oikawa tried to focus, tried to think if he recognized this voice, but nothing was coming to him beyond the sharp threat of the dagger at his back. “You're going to send the mercenaries away. You're going to tell everyone that there's no danger anymore. And then you're going to make the council forget everything about-”

Oikawa heard two heavy thumps to his side and then his head crashed hard into the floor. Oikawa gasped, dazed and rolled away. Someone grunted deeply behind him. Oikawa leapt to his feet fast enough to make himself dizzy and he staggered. He made it several steps before something metallic clattered to the floor. Ushijima cursed deeply and wrenched the attacker's arm up between his shoulders so hard the man whined. Ushijima glanced at Oikawa over his shoulder. More footsteps sounded down the hall and Iwaizumi rounded the corner along with two other knights.

Oikawa hung back as the attacker was dragged, panting and ruffled, to his feet and put in the custody of the knights. They pulled him down the hall, but Iwaizumi knelt down next to Ushijima, who was still on his knees, breathing hard. Iwaizumi glanced up when Oikawa approached.

“Are you okay?” he asked. Oikawa nodded and reached up to run his fingers through his hair and settle it back into place.

“I'm fine. He just scared me,” Oikawa said. His voice sounded shaky in his ears. Ushijima still hadn't said anything. Oikawa reached down and gripped his guard's upper arm. “Come on Ushiwaka,” he urged. When he tugged at Ushijima's arm, he man groaned. He reached up to push Oikawa away and the prince saw that his hand was soaked in blood.


	5. Day 5: Undercover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Look, Ushiwaka. I'm a man. I don't belong in some gaudy gold dress,” Oikawa said, pouting. Ushijima snapped the console shut.
> 
> “I know,” he said. Far too quickly for Oikawa's taste.

Ushijima always kept the car just a little too warm. The leather of the seat stuck lightly to the back of his thigh and Oikawa grimaced at the feeling as he shifted uncomfortably. His legs felt too long, too exposed even in the dim lights from the dashboard.

“I look pale as hell,” Oikawa growled. He moved again and gripped the edge of thin gold fabric that he wouldn't be caught _dead_ wearing if it were anything other than a six thousand dollar dress. Ushijima looked up from where he had been searching for his extra clips in the console between them.

“It's just the lighting,” Ushijima said. He pulled a clip out and tucked it into his belt. Oikawa watched him jealously as he double checked the gun in the holster under his arm. All Oikawa had on him was a thin knife tucked up under the edge of his underwear (and oh god, those were too thin as well. How had anyone ever talked him into wearing this?) and another blade hidden in the lining of the clutch he had in his lap.

“Look, Ushiwaka. I'm a man. I don't belong in some gaudy gold dress,” Oikawa said, pouting. Ushijima snapped the console shut.

“I know,” he said. Far too quickly for Oikawa's taste. Oikawa narrowed his focus on his partner, who avoided him by turning and reaching for his suit jacket in the back seat. “But it's one of those kinds of parties.” Ushijima added. He sounded exasperated as well.

“God, this Kuroo guy is such a pervert,” Oikawa said. He rest his elbow on the thin edge by the window and rest his cheek against it. The glass was cool against his arm and he leaned into it, closing his eyes.

“Yes,” Ushijima agreed. Oikawa felt the tips of Ushijima's fingers brush the nape of his neck. Goosebumps rose on his skin and just as he was about to lean into the touch, Ushijima gently tugged him away from the window. “Don't do that. You'll smear your makeup.”

“God,” Oikawa huffed. He sat up and settled properly into his seat, but Ushijima's hand didn't move. “So, tell me the plan again,” Oikawa said. It was a habit they had picked up between them. Go over the plan immediately before it went down and make sure they were on the same page.

“You go in. Find Kuroo,” Ushijima paused there, thinking over his next words, and Oikawa smiled. He knew Ushijima was just about as excited about this job as he was. Not terribly. “Get his interest. Get him to take you somewhere alone.” Oikawa picked up the next part.

“You follow me every step of the way and when he's alone, we take him down,” Oikawa purred. “While Bokuto and the others find where he's keeping his drugs.” Ushijima nodded, satisfied with his answer. His hand dropped a bit and his expression softened as he traced his thumb over the pulse in Oikawa's neck.

“Be careful. Kuroo's smart, and he's probably watching out for something to go down tonight,” Ushiima warned. Oikawa rolled his eyes and posed as well as he could in the cramped car seat, hiking his leg up and letting the fabric fall away from this thigh.

“Kuroo might be smart, but so am I,” he flipped his hair. “And I'm very, very beatiful,” Oikawa flashed his partner a grin. Ushijima didn't look particularly amused but still reached and ran his hand up the length of Oikawa's thigh. His eyes darkened and Oikawa genuinely felt good about wearing this dress for the first time since he put it on.

“I know you are,” he squeezed Oikawa's thigh before he pulled the keys out of the ignition and everything went dark. “Let's get this over with and go home at a decent time for once.” Oikawa laughed lightly and opened the door, the cold wind rushing in and clearing all the doubt and nervousness in his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For a prompt I was totally stumped on until halfway through the -day of- I'm pretty pleased with how this turned out. 
> 
> I'm on tumblr at miscwrites if you want to find me~


	6. Day 6: Nationals & University

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Wakatoshi,' Oikawa thinks as the ball sinks into the tips of his fingers, a familiar and sadistic weight, 'if you don't slam this in I'll rip your throat out right here on this court.'

“What are you doing?” Ushijima's deep voice is nearly drowned out by the roar of the crowd around them, the thuds and squeaks of the team warming up behind them. “If you have time to wave to the crowd, come toss for me.” Oikawa maintains up his smile until he's sure he's out of the view of the gigantic news camera he was focusing on before turning and giving Ushijima a annoyed glare.

“I'm not waving at stangers, Ushiwaka. I'm greeting all of my fans and loved ones who are surely cheering me on all~ the way from Miyagi,” Oikawa trills. The corner of Ushijima's mouth pulls down.

“I saw Tendou in the lobby earlier,” he offers. Oikawa lets out a short bark of laughter.

“Iwa told me he would be here too since it's nationals, so I'm sure he's just chatting away with everyone in the stands somewhere.” Ushijima hardly looks bothered. He faces the court and lifts one hand. A volleyball comes flying from the court and Ushijima catches it easily. He holds it out to Oikawa.

“Does Iwaizumi know anyone who lives in Tokyo besides you?” Ushijima asks. Oikawa's mouth drops open and one of Ushijima's rare smiles ghosts across his face. Oikawa snatches the ball from his hand and steps back behind the line. He motions to others around them to line up to practice serves. Like hell he's going to toss to Ushijima when he's teasing him.

He doesn't even know how long the game has been going on now. All he knows is that every set has dragged out; neither team wants to give in a single point and everyone is digging their claws deep into each other. His legs are screaming even just standing there beside the net, half blinded by the lights as he watches the recieve sail towards him in slow motion.

There's a headache pounding behind his ears. He's so dehydrated and strained and fucking _exhausted_ that he wants to cry as he lifts his arms above his head. He has to fucking jump for this toss and he prays that it's the last effort he has to make today.

'Wakatoshi,' he thinks as the ball sinks into the tips of his fingers, a familiar and sadistic weight, 'if you don't slam this in I'll rip your throat out right here on this court.' He pushes out with his hands without thinking about it. He doesn't even have to think anymore about Ushijima's tosses; he could do them in his sleep. The ball sails up high behind him and he knows it's perfect as soon as it leaves his hands. He lands on his feet and twists his shoulders. Ushijima's already up, his left arm high above the net. He whips it down in a blur. The familiar sound of the ball slamming to the court on the other side of the net rings in Oikawa's ears and it sends his heart soaring in relief and excitement.

Their team is all over them as the whistle blows and the score is finalized. Oikawa is slapped about the back and shoulders and someone leans on him hard enough that he thinks his shaking legs will give out from under him. He staggers forward. Ushijima is shoved into him and without thinking Oikawa wraps his arms hard around his chest, squeezes him close and shoves his face against his neck. He doesn't care about the sweat or the screaming of his teammates or the crowd nearly covering the sound of Ushijima laughing in his ear. He loses himself in it all. They won nationals. Nothing else matters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more day! Today's another short one but I plan for tomorrow to be longer since I'm wrapping things up. Hope everyone is still having a wonderful UshiOi week!
> 
> I'm on tumblr at miscwrites~


	7. Day 7: Free Theme (3/3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Say,” Oikawa said, taking his time with the buttons. “If someone paid you enough, would you come after me?” he asked. There was a long pause where Oikawa listened to Ushijima breathe. 
> 
> “It depends,” Ushijima finally answered, his voice deep and quiet. “There's a lot of things to consider when it comes to assassination.” Oikawa chewed on his lip.

“What the hell happened?” Iwaizumi's voice was rough with concern. Oikawa wouldn't look at him, his brow furrowed with worry and lips pressed into a thin line. His shirt was ruined; deep red blood stained his arm and down his side and droplets had spread and smeared nearly everywhere in the commotion in the hallway. Oikawa's fingers shook so badly he struggled to open the buttons. He got two before he huffed and gave up. He gripped the collar and tugged it over his head. The blood soaking through stuck the fabric to his skin and he felt the warmth smear over his shoulder and cheek as he pulled his shirt off and dropped it to the floor with a shudder.

“I don't know,” Oikawa said. He went to wipe the blood off his face and stopped short. His hand was still sticky and doing anything without water would be a waste. Iwaizumi shifted, his face pale. The door to Oikawa's chamber creeked open behind the knight and Oikawa watched warily as Kunimi came in, puffing over the bucket of water he held in front of him. He set it on the ground and panted for a couple seconds before he hauled it over to a small copper tub and dumped it in. It wasn't a full bath, but this late at night and in his current state, Oikawa was grateful for anything.

Oikawa stepped up to the small tub and shoved his hands in. The water had cooled somewhat during Kunimi's trek up the stairs but it still steamed and stung his skin as he started scrubbing the blood off his skin. “I just wanted some fresh air,” he said. His hands shook as he splashed water further up on his chest. Kunimi handed him a cloth and he wet it to wash his face. “I haven't been able to _breathe_ for weeks and I just happened to wake up while he was asleep so I slipped out. I wasn't even going that far and I was going to head ba-” Iwaizumi set a hand on his shoulder and Oikawa flinched away, nearly dropping his rag.

“Are you hurt?” Iwaizumi asked. Oikawa let out a deep breath and pressed his hands over is eyes, then slid one through his hair. There was a bump above his ear where he'd hit the ground but it wasn't anything pressing.

“No, I'm okay. Ushijima found me before anything could happen,” Oikawa went back to mopping up the blood. “I'm just startled is all.” Iwaizumi relaxed somewhat, though he still looked tired.

“There's not a lot left to do right now. We took him to Kiyoko and she's doing what she can,” Oikawa nodded numbly, “The guy who jumped you is down in the cells. We're gonna let Kyoutani try to get something out of him.” The little smile that pulled at Oikawa's lips at that thought felt a bit wrong but really, he was just glad to have this over with. Iwaizumi continued, “Just try to rest until things settle down. I'll stay in the hallway and keep an eye out.” Oikawa nodded tiredly and wiped up the rest of the blood.

* * *

 

The redheaded mercenary Oikawa remembered as Tendou was in the room when Iwaizumi escorted him to the infirmary late in the morning. He grinned when Oikawa walked in and stood from his chair next to the bed.

“Is the prince okay?” he asked. Oikawa didn't quite like the teasing lilt in his voice but chose to ignore it in favor of taking the chair and settling in at Ushijima's side. His guard was asleep, and hadn't moved in the commotion of them coming in and greeting each other. His abdomen was bandaged tightly with white cloth from hip to just under his ribs and Oikawa could see where he'd been stabbed. There was a faint stain of bright red seeping through the bandages on his side. Oikawa reached out and traced the spot gently with the pad of his finger and Tendou shifted at the foot of the bed.

“You don't have to worry,” he pressed, voice quiet but still sounding carefree, “It's not like we don't get stabbed on a pretty regular basis.” Oikawa frowned and pet Ushijima's forearm with his thumb instead. He knew _that._ It was standard fare for mercenaries and Oikawa couldn't help but notice the scars that marked Ushijima's skin, and the faint glimpses he would get on the others while they were staying in the castle.

“I know,” he sighed. He watched the slow rise and fall of Ushijima's chest as he breathed. 'But that doesn't stop me from worrying,' he thought.

* * *

 

Over the next couple of days, the plot behind everything had been unveiled. The knights managed to get the attacker to talk. He was part of a group of renegades from Datekou. Apparently Moniwa, the leader of that province, couldn't keep everyone content with becoming a single entity with their neighbor, Karasuno.

There were a lot of meetings then, and a lot of questions. Moniwa was panicked and after interrogation Oikawa, as well as his parents, were content with the fact that Moniwa wasn't directly involved. Oikawa remembers sitting in the throne room and watching Moniwa shiver as his father spoke to him. Moniwa was kind and Seijou never made of habit of being heavy handed. The attacker would be executed, and while his father explained to Moniwa that it was understood he wasn't the mastermind, he was still ordered to retire. Datekou would have a new leader elected by the rest of the council.

Nothing was over. The same council drama was there, and Yahaba had once again found the energy to fret to him about all the upcoming political issues once more coming up for discussion after the delay. However, a vast majority of the mercenaries had been paid and had moved on and out of the castle. Oikawa wasn't constantly watched anymore and now he could finally breathe.

“What are you doing?” Oikawa asked as he turned the corner and walked into the infirmary. Ushijima was up and around again, only now he was pulling on his shirt with visible discomfort.

“Kiyoko told me I'm well enough to leave,” he stated. He winced as he pushed is arm through his sleeve and let it down again slowly. Something cold twisted in Oikawa's gut and he pouted. He walked up and poked Ushijima in the stomach. Even though he was several inches to the side of his wound, Ushijima still paled and flinched away from him.

“But it still hurts,” Oikawa pressed. He closed the gap again and laid his hand on his chest again. Ushijima let him and hummed.

“Of course it does. Now I have to get on my horse and catch up with the others who have already left.” Oikawa heaved a heavy sigh and let his hand drop. He was feeling the same kind of dread that came when he knew Yahaba would scold him, a sense of discomfort that dimmed his mood. “What's wrong with that?” Ushijima asked. “You couldn't stand me when I was protecting you, but now you're upset when I'm finally leaving?”

“It's my fault you got hurt,” Oikawa said, trying to change the subject. “You're not going to stay until you can at least stand to put your shirt on without crying about it?” Ushijima growled softly.

“I don't work here anymore. Your father's already paid me and everyone else. I'm intruding if I stay any longer,” he press.

“Yes, there's always someone else to stab for money,” Oikawa griped. Ushijima made a quiet sound of frustration and tried to button up his shirt without lifting his arm too much. Oikawa gave him all of four seconds to try it before he batted his hands away and started doing it himself.

“Say,” Oikawa said, taking his time with the buttons. “If someone paid you enough, would you come after me?” he asked. There was a long pause where Oikawa listened to Ushijima breathe.

“It depends,” Ushijima finally answered, his voice deep and quiet. “There's a lot of things to consider when it comes to assassination.” Oikawa chewed on his lip.

“Like what?” His hands had stopped halfway through doing up the buttons.

“Like if I think you're a good monarch. What the rest of my group thinks. How much money is on the table,” Ushijima said. Another pause, and Oikawa finished with the buttons, but he didn't let go of Ushijima's shirt and gripped tightly at his collar. Ushijima let out a deep breath.

“Right now though, I wouldn't. You've behaved admirably through this whole thing. You're smart and you have the love of your people. There's no reason to take a job like that,” he said. Oikawa set his jaw, grinned and laughed quietly to himself.

“It's nice to hear that you like me,” Oikawa said. Ushijima smiled lightly. “If you have to leave, then leave, but you should come back and beg me for money whenever you need some.” They locked eyes. Oikawa swallowed, then leaned up and pressed his lips to Ushijima's. The mercenary stiffed when he leaned down to meet him, but the sound he made was soft and hungry as their tongues slid together. Ushijima was the first to pull back and he pulled Oikawa's hands off his shirt.

“You'll have to call me first. I don't typically like to come back to places where I work constantly for more than a week and then get stabbed at the end.” Oikawa stepped back and let Ushijima finish dressing.

“Keep an ear out then. I might come up with an excuse to call you sooner than you expect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's late, but I'm finally done! I'm so sorry for the delay. Thanks to everyone who showed support and stuck around all the way to the end!
> 
> I'm at miscwrites on tumblr~


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